Process fob making pearl button-blanks



H. H, KNOTT, C. J. JUNGBLUTH AND E. 8. HAMMER. PROCESS FOR MAKING PEARL aunow BLANKS.

APPLICATlON'HLED IAN.2. 1911. 1 15,673, PatentedSept. 9, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. H. KNOTL C. J. JUNGBLUTH AND E. B. HAMMER.

PROCESS FOR MAKING. PEARL BUTTON BLANKS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.Z. 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PntcntedSept. 9, 1919 H. H. KNOTT, C. J. JUNGIBLUTH AND E. B. HAMMER.

PROCESS FOR MAKING PEARL BUTTON BLANKS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.2.19I?.

1 ,3 1 5 67 3. Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

BSHEETSSHEET 3.

Ally 1/71 63 to C. 4 M %/M AzHs UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nanny n. imo'r'r, CARL J. JUNGBLUTH, m nnwrnn. HAMMER, or whsnrnoron, y

' rows. 7

. PROCESS FOR I IAK IN'G PEARL BUTTON-BLANKS;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

T 0 (ZZZ whom it may concern.

Be 1t known that, we, HARRY H. Know,

CARL J. J UNGBLUTH, and EDWIN B. HAMMER,

citizens of the United States, and residents of Washington, in the county of Washington and State of Iowa, have invented a cer- "tam new and useful Process for Making Pearl ButtonrBla'nks, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide a sim lo and etlicient rocess for making pearl utton blanks in the shape of a round disk, by which process forty to one hundred per cent. more blanks may be secured from a shell than has been heretofore possible, and by which the cost of roducin suitable button blanks is great y reduce and by which more perfect; and uniform buttons mziy be made.

n practice of such process we first cut the shell into strips on parallel lines, and then out such strips for making blanks of angular outline.

The blanks thus made, which are preferably square, and then rounded in any suitable way, preferably by holding them between two gripping members, one being pointed and the other arranged to engage one side of the blank over a considerable area and rotatin both gripping members uniformly,

' and en jecting the blank to contact with a frictional grinding device.

In order to properly set forth the steps and advanta es of our process, a brief explanation wi 1 be made of the rior process of manufacturing pearl button blanks.

In the prior process, a machine is em ployed having a wooden block and having" opposite said block a tubular saw in the form of a slightly tapered cylinder, having teeth formed on one end.

This saw is mounted in a mandrel which rotates. By means of a screw feed the w'ooden plug is brought toward the saw thus forcing the shell against the rotating saw. a

The shells are of irregular shape and are held by workmen with tongs which grip the opposite edges of the shell.

The workmanholds the shell with its back against the wooden block and slides the shell toward the saw and thereby saws out a round disk or blank.

The workman then allows the shell and plug to slide away from the saw and shifts the shell to another position and then saws out another blank; This operation is continued as long as the "workman can find space on the shell to place his tubular saw. This process involves a great waste of material for several reasons.

In the first place, the peculiar shape of the shell is such that the curved portions, near the edges, cannot be utilized. Neither can the hinge portions of the shells be used.

The curved portions break too easily to be sawed up close to the edge of the shell, and the tubular saw cannot be used for cutting blanks from the hinge portion of the shell, for the reason that the saws are frequently broken in the attempt.

Cuttin the blank by forcing the shell against t e saw takes considerable pressure, and as the shells are brittle, the blank often times breaks out before the saw has cut through, which results in imperfect blanks having projections or win s on the sides,

or some times a piece is bro en off the blank which leaves it irregular in outline and worthless. l

The tongs used comprise two channelshaped members which extend from the edges of the shell in such a we. that access with the saw cannot be had to t ose portions of the shells covered by the ten s, and this results in another loss of-materia Owing to the peculiar shape of the shell and the difficulty in holding and adjusting the shell for sawing, it is necessary to employ highly skilled workmen for cutting the blanks, making'this part of the process of manufacture expensive.

Owing to the fact that the surfaces of the shells are so irregular in shape, it is necessary to use a comparatively soft saw. A high-tempered saw breaks. The use of a soft-tempered saw of the kind commonly used means that almost fifty per cent. of the cutters time is spent in filing, setting and adjusting his saw. 7

The use of the tapered tubular saw results in the cutting of blanks which. are not of strictly uniformsize. No two workmen will set the teeth of their saws exactly the 7 same, which causes variation in size of the blanks cut with the saws.

The method of cutting blanks just de- .7

not know of any other method heretofore in use for cutting out the button blanks.

We have designed the practice of our methodfor various shells, particularly for use with fresh water shells, which vary considerably in size and shape.

a The roblem involved is very largely due to the irregular shape of the shells, and to their brittle nature.

In the practice of our process, we prefera- 7 July place the .shell' on a block or movable member on which it is held in any/suitable important, although, it may not be the only a plurality of circular saws cut shells way.

way, and move the shell to position where strips preferably crosswise of shell. The strips are then subjected to contact with another saw or saws, cutting preferabl at right angles to the first cut, thus ma ing blanks of angillar outline, preferably square.

Other me anism may be used for carrying out our process, for instance a plurality of saws ma be used for cutting into the shell for a s ort distance, and then the shell may be cut across the lines of the first series of cuts, for cutting angular blanks.

This portion of the process we consider adapted to engage the center ofthe blank, thus forming a center around which the square disk revolves, and the other of which is adapted to engagethe opposite sideof a blank over a considerable area.

The second gripping member may be a tubular member having teeth at its ends, or a solid member'withcorrugated or rough sdurliaceto give greatest gripping power on Both gripping members are simultaneously revolved at the same speed and,

the blank is subjected to contact with an emery wheel or other abrasivedevice until the blank is made into a round disk.

Both gripping members must preferably be rotated simultaneously; otherwise the gripping member which did not move would pore1 into the blank which is brittle and rai buttons in theordinary way. t For the purpose of more clearly illustratmg the method of practising our process we have shown herewith certain forms of i machines by which the process may be carried on. i V I We deslre to have 1t understood, however,

into

The disks, are then ready be made into 7 that different kinds of machines may be used for the purpose, and that the kind of machine is not vital to the proper use of the process.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating machines whereby our process may be carried out Figure 1 shows a front elevation of a machine by which the shells are cut on eertainlines by placing them on a suitable '75 support and moving the support toward proper saws. T w

Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 shows a detail sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 shows a detail view ofone of the devices for holding shell. I

Fig. 5 shows a side elevation of a ma chine by which the shell may be sawed on lines into. angular blanks.

Fig.6 shows a top or plan view of the machine shown in Flg. 5.

Figs. 7 and 8 show detail view of the device which grips the shell strips. Fig. 9 shows a horizontal sectional view of'the machine by which the blanks are gripped between the gripping, members substantially at their centers andother members engaging the shellblanks'over a con-, siderable portion oftheir central areas and by which both gripping members are simultaneously rotated and the blanks subjected to frictional abrasion for making the-blanks into round disks, taken on the lint 9-9 of Fig. 10; and

Fig. 10 shows a front elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 9;

In the accompanying drawings we have used the reference-numeral 10 to indicate generally the frame of i the machine for 106' cutting the shells on certain lines.

Mounted on the frame 10 are upwardly extending supports 11 in which there is rotatably mounted a shaft 12. On the shaft 12 are a series of saws 13. In the 'draw- 110- ings wexhave shown two series of such saws.

On the shaft 12 between the two series is a belt pulley 14; through which motion may be transmitted to the shaft 12 and the saws 13. i

The saws 13 comprise-comparatively narrow blades which are mounted on cylinders 15. At the upper end of the frame 10is a platform 16. Above. the platform 16 i s 12 0 a vertically movableqmember 17 having a downwardly extending member 18 slidably received in'a bearing 19 onthe platform 16.

The device which .we are now describing is'the shell holding means, and one of such 1.25

holding means is provided for each series of saws. The shell-holding means are similar in construction and only one need be described.

The movable" member 117 is vertically movable and its vertical movement is affected in the following manner.

Mounted on the frame 10 is a transverse shaft on one end of which is a pulley 21 through which rotation may be trans mitted to the shaft '20 and on the other end 7 of which is a beveled r 22. The beveled gear 22 meshes with a eveled gear 23 onta shaft 24 arranged longitudinally in the machine. Another transverse shaft 25 is arranged forwardly of and above the, shaft 20 and above the shaft 24, as shown in" Fig. 2. V v

' on the" shaft 24 is a worm 26 andon the shaft 25 is a worm gear 27. r

On the lower ends of the members 18 are rollers 28 which engage'cams 29 on the shaft 25. V and it will be seen that it alternately raises and lowers the movable member 17.

Mounted on the movable member 17 to slide longitudinally in the machine is a second movable member 30 on which is an operating handle 31, by which the movable member 30 may he slid longitudinally in themachine. 7 On the member 30 is a plate 32 to which is secured a transverse metal plate 33, which, at one end, has an upwardly ere tending portion 3 1 on which are formed spaced rearwardly projecting fingers or strips 35. V 7

Between the strips 35 areislots 36 vto re ceive the saws when the movable member.

30 is slid rearwardly in the machine to bring the shells in contact with the saws, or to position below the saws.

In the practical use of this part of the machine, the operator slips the shell under" the strips 35 on the plate 32, grasps the handle 31 and shoves the movable member 30 rearwardly in the machine until the shell is below the saws.

The sliding movement can be so timed with relation to the action of the cam 29 as to move the movable members to position i for holding the shell beneath the saws while the movable members are in their loweredposition, so that after they have reached such position the operation ofthe cam 29 will serve to raise the movable members carrying with them the shell for causing the shell to be lifted into the path of the saws 13.

It will, of course, be understood parts are so arranged thatthe saws almost touch the plate 32 when the movable "mom bers are raised.

After the sawing operation has been com pleted, the movable member 30 is withdrawn and the shell strips are removed. 7

The shell strips are then cut into squares by means of the machine shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 8 in which the reference numeral 40 indicates a frame.

The shaft 25 is slowly rotated 7 that the At the upper end of the frame {20 is'a shaft 48 'having'on one end a belt pulley 49,

and on the other end a beveled gear 50.

' A fourth shaft 51 is mounted in suitable bearings and liaison one end a beveled gear 52 which meshes with a beveled gear 50. On the shaft 51 is a worm 53 WlllCl'l meshes with a worm gear 54; on the shaft l7. On

the shaft 47 is a'rotary member 55to which are secured a plurality of shell holding members, two onlyof which are shown in the drawings;

These shell holding members comprise in eachcase a base 56 on which is a support 57 on which is pivoted an arm 59. At one end the arm 59 has a pin GO eXtending to- Ward the base 56, and at the other end the arm 56 is connected with the base 56 by a compression spring 61 which normally tends to hold the pin 60 immediatclyadjacent to the base 56.

On the base 56 is a'flange 62 inwhich is r a notch'63 to receive the saw.

. On the table 41 is an upwardly extending uide device 64 so arranged and so curved on its face adjacent to the rotary member 55, that when the rotary member 55 is moved, the arm 59 will be engaged by the guide (it for pressing the spring 61 and moving the pin 60 away from'the base'56.

VVhilethe pin 60 is held away from the base 56, the strip-or shell is" placed between I 7 said pin and said base, and as the member 55 rotates, the shape of the guide Gil: is such as to permit the spring 61 to expand for causing the pin 60 to engage the shell strip,

and hold it against the base 56.

It'w1ll be understood that the movement of the member 55 is quite slow. The shell strip held in the shell strip holding member is cut by the saw 44, and on the next rotation past the guide 64 may be moved to position for cutting off another button blank.

Th1s process of moving the shell strip to different positions with'relation to the notch 68 is continued until the shell strip is cut up into blanks. The angular blanks are then rounded on the machine shown in Figs. 9 and 10, in

' which the reference numeral 'ZO indicates the frame, which supports an upright shaft 71.

On the shaft 71 are mounted two spiders 72 and 73. Each of the. spiders has a plurahty of outwardly opening yokes 74. i The considerable area ofthe button bla Mounted in the upper yoke 75 are hollow shafts 78 which are capable of limited sliding movement, and also of rotaryv moveinent, and are held at their lower limits of movement by springs 79.

Mounted in the lower ends of the cylindri-, cal shafts 78 are pins 80 designed to coact with the engaging members 76 for holding button blanks.

and 82 respectively;

shafts 83-, 84 and 85 are spaced pairs of On the shafts 75 and 78 are pulleys 81 Mounted onsuitable pulleys 86. The upper pulleys 86 are arranged in horizontal alinement with each other and also the lower seriesof pulleys 86 are arranged in horizontal. alinement.

On each series of pulleys 86 is a belt 87 which extends around the pulleys and thence .around part of the pulleys 81 or 82 as the case may be, as illustrated in Fig. 9, so that the pulleys 81. and 82 and the shafts on 'facture insomuch as the shells may be out which said pulleys are mounted are rotated during part of the rotation of the shaft- 71.

The shaft 71 is rotated by means of a worm gear 88 thereon, which meshes with a worm 89 on a shaft 90 on one end of which is'a clutch member 91.

Alined with the shaft 90 is a shaft 92 on which isa coacting sliding clutch member 93. Rotation is imparted to the shaft 92 from the belt pulley 94.

In the operation of the machine shown in Figs. ,9 aid 10 the operator may manually lift the shafts 78 against the pressure of the springs 79 when the pulleys 82 are out of contact with the belt 87 and place a buttonblank between the members 76 and 80. The pulleys 82 and 81 which are subected to the action of the belts 87 are rotated and said pulleys are subjected to the action of said belts because of the rotation of the shaft 21.

Su tably mounted 'on the machine are abrasion devices 95 and 96, which extend into the path of travel of the button blanks,

' so that as the buttons are whirled they are the device 96 and the corners are ground In the first place by cutting the shells drawn to position so that their corners contact with the abrasion device 95 and with oil thereby completing the rocess. The dev1ces 95 and 96 may be of iiferent material or d fferent roughness of engaging surface or different sizes.

The practice of our process in the making of button blanks'from fresh water shells has a number of important advantages.

into blanks ofsquare or other angular outline, we are able to make from forty to one hundred per cent. more blanks from a shell than by the old process, thus effecting a big saving of matemah Fresh water shells are becoming scarce and more expensive each year, as evidenced,

for instance, by the eiforts of the United be patented- The cutters save almost fifty vper cent. of 4 their time, which would otherwise be spent in preparing and adjusting their saws.

The old method requires care and time in adjusting each shell for cutting each blank, whereas, under the new method, the workman can saw the shell into squares very rapidly. v

We thereby reduce the expense of labor on account of the fact that workmen produce nearly twice as much work in the same time.

We further reduce the expense of manuinto squares, and'the squares rounded in less time than the disks can be cut out by the old method. 1

Under the old method of sawing through the shell with a tubular saw, owing to the nature of the saw and the irregular shape of the shell, there is considerable loss due to the factthat the blanks break or split ofl.

This loss is practically all avoided by'theuse of our improved process.

Under the old system comparatively soft metal saws must be used, while under the new system high-tempered saws may be employed so that less attention need be given to the saws, and less time lfsed for their care.

Where our process is used, the'blanks can be made of absolutely the same diameter by properly adjusting the gripping members withrelation to the abrasive means. This means that the buttons produced will look better and be of greater value because of their uniform size. In summary, then we gain by our process from forty to one hundred per cent. more blanks from the same quantity of shell than under the old method.

We are able "to produce button blanks at I a smaller manufacturing cost on account of the saving of material and ex ense of labor, doing away with the care oft e small tubular saws, and we also effect a further saving in that the buttons do not split off from the" shell and do not have '(parts split from them as they do when sawe with a tubular saw.

We also are able to produce blanks of uniform diameter without the vdestruction at- I tending the "old method, which required se- Vere pressure in cutting the blanks and which is absent in our method. 7

Our process may be carried out with a variety of machines, but we referably use machines operating substantlally as above described.

We claim as our invention:

The process of making pearl button blanks from .shellsl comprising the placing of shells on a suitable support, the moving of said support toward operating saws for cutting the shell on certain lines, the sawing of the shell'on other lines to cut it into angular blanks, the gripping of the blanks 'between 9. ointe'd gripping member engagih the blan s substan'tia 1y at their centers, an another member engaging the blanks over a considerable portion of their central areas, 0

the simultaneous rotation of both gripping members, and the subjection of the edges of the blanks to frictional abrasion for making said blanks into round disks.

Des Moines, Iowa, November 27, 1916. r HARRY H. KN OTT.

CARL J. JUNGBLUTH. EDWIN B. HAMMER. 

